Odd Problem

Mods, bubba or whoever, please move this if needed, but i have a weird problem on one of my partitions i can't track down yet.

It goes like this. PC boots just dandy and everything is 100% functional untill a really disturbing and evasive issue.

Everytime i open notepad to write, when i go to Backspace so to make a text change, my entire screen SEIZES up tight (no keys works, locked) and everything disables. This happens whenever i go to use the keyboard to type anything, the system STOPS cold and i have to hard reboot for it to function again normally.

I run AV scans plus checked with IceSword + RKUnhooker but nothing out of the ordinary offers any hints to why?

Can anyone help pin down exactly why this apparant keyboard hook happens?

I used autoruns to check for some driver that might be suspect but so far no go.

This thing is stuck no matter what i try. Is perhaps the file that controls the keyboard usage been modified to make such a problem like this?

NOTE: Dunno if this is part of why, but i notice my Num Lock LED stays on and refuses to turn off. I've tried so far everything i can think of to break this hold to no avail yet.

Something somewhere has a file that is locking out the useage of the keys whenever i simply want to TYPE in notepad, right there & then the PC locks up and leaves no other alternative but to hard reboot to enter GUI again. All programs functions normally, only that when you try to TYPE, the second you press a key, the keyboard seizes up and not even Task Manager can come on. This happens also in SAFE MODE.

Thanks

 

Hi Easter, I know you will here better answers but, have you or can you try a different keyboard?

 

That thought crossed my mind but consider this, on this single drive are (2) individual partitions, the other partition exhibits nothing as peculiar as what i'm experiencing, thats why i highly suspect something someplace on the other one is issuing a PC freeze at the exact moment a key is pressed.

Trouble is, AV/AS/ARK scanners show nothing suspicious. I feel like it might just be a either a setting is been modified or some internal $M code corruption. [grasping 4 straws ATM]

 

Have you tried ControlPanel>Printers&other>Keyboard>Hardware>Troubleshoot? There's also something in Regional settings....

 

Go ahead Easter, run on ip's response. Eliminate the keyboard possibility.

Steve

 

I had a problem with my computer seizing up. After a lot of hunting around I discovered that my CPU was overheating. Once I had reseated the cooler with Arctic Silver everything was back to normal or better.

See if you can check the temp - in BIOS if you can't elsewhere.

You could also check the k/b drivers have not been corrupted by reloading them.

 

Try uninstalling Notepad and re installing a fresh copy. It sounds to me like you may have something in it corrupted. Perhaps use Notepad+ instead (much more powerfull) notepad-+

Also run a chkdsk or use your favorite HD utility to scan for errors. Possibly if I'm right you have other bits and pieces corrupted across the HD...
Sometimes de-fragmenting the disk helps prevent data corruptions as well.

 

(Having English settings on one partition and Epsilon Quadrant settings on the other partition) may have changed something by mistake
(Night all, off to bed for me)

 

If you need to monitor the temperature on your processor (yes multi core ones as well). You can try CoreTemp CoreTemp . I use it all the time to identify quick temperature problems on the pc works great:

Here is a picture of it:
http://www.thecoolest.zerobrains.com/CoreTemp/main_data/coretemp.png

Another usefull tool if you need to check the fan speed (see if they even are spinning) or the hard disk temperature you can use speedfan

Screenshots of speedfan here

 

Thank You everyone for all those useful suggestions. I dismiss the CPU heating one because i use MBProbe and the temp is A-OK.

I do seem to recall on that partition's install that i also installed Russian Language to it. Now i don't know how that would cause this issue, but i will also overwrite notepad from the other "good" partition and review the results.

The problem is that when i go to say, open any text file or any program that requires you, like Windows Search or Regedit, to manually type in the letters, it seems from the moment the cursor is lined up and i press a key, P00F! Instant Entire PC Freeze Up.

I'll reply back with any results after taking all your advice. And @Peter2150, this drive in question only has EQSecure 3.4 and although i haven't checked all the settings, it still happens even if i close it.

From my experience with malware, it appears possible if nothing else is at fault, that some rogue .dll or .sys driver may be subject, but i used AutoRuns to check all drivers & services including IceSword & RkUnhooker, and nothing unusual is sticking out right now.

Nice little mystery i made for myself, but then another lesson when or if i can finally clear this Quick up. Otherwise, time for a wipe and reinstall again right?

 

Oh, that is just nasty! Have you tried using the onscreen keyboard?
I'm sure you know, but:

All programs > Accessories > Accessibility > On-screen Keyboard

May not be enough, but worth a try perhaps.

 

NO, because at this point-in-time i'm thoroughly convinced it's either some registry change or a "live" or "active" .dll doing this funny deed. I used to play with various viruses from those lame "check out my latest trojan" type of sites, and so even if thats not what it is, i'm willing to wager that it's a particular function in this haystack of files which is preventing something as simple as just typing in a control box like search or regedit.

But thanks anyway. My keyboard is perfectly fine, it's something else and i'll find it eventually. With plenty of other drives to turn to and FD-ISR, it's not stopping my activity to work the web at all as evidenced with these replies.

 

NO, because at this point-in-time i'm thoroughly convinced it's either some registry change or a "live" or "active" .dll doing this funny deed. I used to play with various viruses from those lame "check out my latest trojan" type of sites, and so even if thats not what it is, i'm willing to wager that it's a particular function in this haystack of files which is preventing something as simple as just typing in a control box like search or regedit.

But thanks anyway. My keyboard is perfectly fine, it's something else and i'll find it eventually. With plenty of other drives to turn to and FD-ISR, it's not stopping my activity to work the web at all as evidenced by my freedom to post these replies.

 

Easter,

Have you tried the simple expedient of removing/unistalling the keyboard using the device manager, and following the usual 2 restart sequence to let the OS reinstall the keyboard and drivers?

Blue

 

Good Morning Blue

No i haven't, but on your suggestion i definitely WILL try that. I'll try anything because this little annoyance simply "can't" be anything seriously jeopardizing because bootup and the GUI plus ALL programs run and function normally as usual. Just this one pestilence that might as well be a virus since it stops ALL normal functions at that point.

Thank You